Wireless communication system &amp; related methods for use in a social network

ABSTRACT

An antenna system and method for managing identification, location, direction and communication with nearby wireless communication devices is provided. Various embodiments can be implemented to enhance the performance of advertising systems, location services, military systems, and social gaming.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of priority with U.S. Provisional Ser.No. 61/702,705, filed Sep. 18, 2012.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to social gaming and location services in themobile wireless domain, and more specifically to an antenna system andmethods for managing communications with one or more users among awireless communication network.

SUMMARY

In a wireless network configured to provide communications between adesignated wireless device and one or more linkable devices, each of thedesignated and linkable devices individually comprising an antennasystem for maintaining a communication link with the wireless network,an antenna system and related methods are configured to manageconnectivity between the designated device and the linkable devices forenabling one or more social networking capabilities, including but notlimited to: identifying one or more linkable devices located withinproximity to a designated wireless device; optimizing a communicationlink between the designated device and one or more of the linkabledevices in the network; terminating communication between the designateddevice and one or more of the linkable devices; adjusting transmit powerof one or more of the designated device and linkable devices forimproving communication therebetween; categorizing one or more of thelinkable devices into one or more user-defined groups; transmitting adata file to one or more of the linkable devices based on groupassignment or proximity within the network; or providing communicationwith one or more linkable devices determined to be present within apre-determined proximity with the designated device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a wireless network containing a designated wireless deviceand one or more linkable devices in proximity to each other, each of thedevices is communicating with at least one other device within thenetwork.

FIG. 2 shows a designated device identifying other linkable deviceswithin detection and/or communication range.

FIG. 3 shows a designated device configured to communicate with aplurality of linked devices within the network, and further configuredto terminate (block) communication with a non-selected device.

FIG. 4 shows a designated device utilizing two antenna beams tocommunicate with each of two linked devices within the network, andblock at least one device from communication. During communication,transmit power is adjusted to improve communication with the linkeddevices, reduce communication with other users, or both.

FIG. 5 shows three geographical regions within a network environment, adesignated device is communicating with linked devices in Region A,wherein antenna beam 1 is synthesized to shape a radiation pattern tooptimize for communication with devices in region A while excludingcommunication with devices in Regions B and C.

FIG. 6A shows an antenna system having an “M” element array of modalantennas; each modal antenna has “N” unique radiation patterns or“modes”, wherein a combination of the M modal antennas in the array willgenerate M^(N) unique radiation patterns or modes.

FIG. 6B shows respective antenna radiation patterns associated with theantenna system of FIG. 6A and multiple modes thereof.

FIG. 7 shows an adaptive antenna system used in a multi-userenvironment, the adaptive antenna system is capable of shaping aradiation pattern of the antenna system to maximize link quality forintended devices (User A; User B; and User C), while minimizinginterference from an undesired device (User D).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for purposes of explanation and notlimitation, details and descriptions are set forth in order to provide athorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will beapparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may bepracticed in other embodiments that depart from these details anddescriptions.

An antenna system is provided for use with a designated deviceconfigured to communicate with one or more linkable devices within awireless network.

It should be noted that “designated device” as used herein refers to asingle wireless device within the network that is being configured tomanage connectivity between it and other devices on the network; theother devices are herein referred to as “linkable devices” since thedesignated device may select whether or not to link with each of theother devices.

Upon communicating with one of the linkable devices, generally byproducing an antenna beam pattern capable of establishing a linkconnection between the designated device and the selected linkabledevice, the designated device is said to be linked, or connected with a“linked” device.

Moreover, upon generating an antenna beam pattern having a null steeredor directed toward another of the linkable devices, thereby eliminatingpotential for connectivity therewith, the designated device is said tobe blocking or terminating communication with the selected device, or“blocked” device.

Each of the linkable devices may individually comprise a mobile wirelessdevice, or a static (fixed position) device connected to the wirelessnetwork.

The antenna system and related methods are configured to manageconnectivity between the designated device and the linkable devices forenabling one or more social networking capabilities, including at leastone of:

identifying one or more linkable devices located within proximity to adesignated wireless device; optimizing a communication link between thedesignated device and one or more of the linkable devices in thenetwork;

terminating communication between the designated device and one or moreof the linkable devices; adjusting transmit power of one or more of thedesignated device and linkable devices for improving communicationtherebetween;

categorizing one or more of the linkable devices into one or moreuser-defined groups; transmitting a data file to one or more of thelinkable devices based on group assignment or proximity within thenetwork; or

providing communication with one or more linkable devices determined tobe present within a pre-determined proximity with the designated device.

When taken alone, each of the devices within the network may or may notcomprise an antenna system capable of configuring an antenna beampattern for managing connectivity between the designated device and thelinkable devices for enabling one or more social networkingcapabilities. In other words, not all devices must be configured withthe antenna system or methods described herein, and a single enableddevice can be configured to manage connectivity between the designateddevice and the linkable devices for enabling one or more socialnetworking capabilities without a requirement that all devices withinthe network be similarly configured.

Preferably, the antenna system comprises one or more multi-mode antennascapable of beam steering and band switching to form a plurality ofradiation modes as described in commonly owned U.S. Ser. No. 13/726,477,filed Dec. 24, 2012, and titled “ANTENNA AND METHOD FOR STEERING ANTENNABEAM DIRECTION”; the contents of which are hereby incorporated byreference. The antenna system further comprises an adaptive processorand an antenna tuning module, wherein the antenna is configured togenerate a radiation pattern which maximizes antenna gain in thedirection of one or more intended linked devices and minimizes gain (ornull steers) in the direction of one or more unintended blocked devices.

The antenna system is configured to scan for connectivity with one ormore devices in all directions, identifying one or more linkable deviceswithin a pre-determined proximity with the designated device. Thepredetermined proximity may be up to one mile, or greater, depending onuser defined specifications. Once all nearby linkable devices areidentified, the antenna system is configured to communicate with eachdevice to obtain a device identification tag. The device identificationtag is processed within the antenna system to determine for each devicewhether to link or to block. To do this, a lookup table may be stored inmemory, the lookup table comprising data relating one or more deviceswith one or more instructions, such as “connect” or “block”. Based onthe instruction, the antenna system is configured to adjust the antennaradiation pattern by generating either a gain maxima or a null in thedirection of the respective device. Thus, with communication enabled,the respective device is capable of recognizing and linking with thedesignated device and the devices are said to be linked. Alternatively,with communication disabled, the respective device is not capable ofrecognizing or linking with the designated device and the devices aresaid to be blocked.

Thus, the antenna system comprises: a multi-mode antenna coupled to anantenna tuning module for providing multiple distinct antenna modes,wherein the antenna is configured to produce a distinct radiationpattern at each of the multiple modes; an adaptive processor capable ofselecting an operation mode and communicating said mode to the antennatuning module, and memory comprising one or more lookup tables forstoring data associated with one or more device identification tags,antenna modes, or other related data.

The antenna system is configured with at least one algorithm forscanning the network to identify proximally located linkable devices byidentification tag; comparing the identification tag for each devicewith a lookup table to identify a user-specified instruction for eachdevice, such as “connect” or “block”; and generating one or more modesof the one or more multi-mode antennas of the device to implement theinstruction for each respective linkable device identified.

Transmit power can be modulated to enhance or reduce communication linkperformance between the designated device and select linkable devices inthe network. This can be accomplished using the multimode antenna asdescribed above.

Other metrics for link quality may be considered for enhancing orreducing communications link performance between respective linkabledevices within the network.

User-specified groups, such as a “connect” group or a “block” group maybe created by a user of the designated device by associating knowndevice identification tags with respective instructions. Additionally,the user may elect to connect with a geographically based group (nearbydevices), for example to find friends within an area and meet up for asocial activity. These and other groups may be configured and stored inmemory within the antenna system.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 a wireless network containing adesignated wireless device (User 1) and one or more linkable devices(Users 2, 3, 4, and n) in proximity to each other, each of the devicesis communicating with at least one other device within the network. Acommunication region defined by the antenna radiation pattern and rangeof the designated device is identified using dashed lines.

FIG. 2 shows a designated device identifying other linkable deviceswithin detection and/or communication range. This initial function ofidentifying linkable devices is performed prior to communicating withother users on the network.

FIG. 3 shows a designated device (User 1) configured to communicate witha plurality of linked devices (Users 3, 4, and n) within the network,and further configured to terminate (block) communication with anon-selected device (User 2). The radiation pattern or mode generated bythe antenna system of the designated device is configured to span aregion containing linked devices (Users 3, 4, and n) while excluding theblocked device (User 2).

FIG. 4 shows a designated device utilizing two antenna beams tocommunicate with each of two linked devices within the network, andblock at least one device from communication. During communication,transmit power is adjusted for at least one of: improving communicationlink quality with the linked devices, or reducing communication linkquality with other users. A first antenna beam of the two antenna beamsis optimized for communication between the designated device (User 1)and linked device (User 3). A second antenna beam of the two antennabeams is optimized for communication between the designated device(User 1) and linked device (User 4). Each of the first and secondantenna beams is steered away from blocked devices (User 2 and n).Alternatively, power may be reduced to exclude a distant device.

FIG. 5 shows three geographical regions within a network environment, adesignated device is communicating with linked devices in a first region(Region A), wherein antenna beam 1 is synthesized to shape a radiationpattern to optimize for communication with linked devices (Users 3 and4) within Region A while excluding communication with blocked devices(Users 2, 5 and n) in Regions B and C. Thus, the designated device isconfigured to communicate with linked devices in a specific geographiclocation.

FIG. 6A shows an antenna system having an “M” element array of modalantennas; each modal antenna has “N” unique radiation patterns or“modes” associated therewith, wherein a combination of the M modalantennas in the array will generate M^(N) unique radiation patterns ormodes. FIG. 6B shows respective antenna radiation patterns associatedwith the antenna system of FIG. 6A and multiple modes thereof.Additional radiation patterns can be generated using the array byapplying phase shifts to the various antenna elements to steer the arrayradiation pattern. The multiple beams that can be generated can be usedto communicate with selected users.

FIG. 7 shows an adaptive antenna system used in a multi-userenvironment, the adaptive antenna system is capable of shaping aradiation pattern of the antenna system to maximize link quality forintended devices (User A; User B; and User C), while minimizinginterference from an undesired device (User D). The antenna tuningmodule (ATM) contains circuitry configured to send control signals toactive components that are coupled to parasitic elements positionedadjacent to the antenna. The reactive loading of one or multipleparasitic elements in proximity to the antenna element connected to theadaptive processor is altered to shape the antenna radiation pattern. Inthis embodiment, the antenna pattern (155) is optimized to couple thedesignated device with three linked devices (151, 152, and 154) eachhaving respective antenna patterns (156, 157, and 159). The antennasystem (150) of the designated device forms a null in the direction ofblocked device 153 having associated antenna pattern 158.

In one aspect, the antenna system of a designated device is configuredto manage connectivity between the designated device and one or morelinkable devices for enabling one or more social networking capabilitiesas described above.

In another aspect, a wireless communication method for enabling one ormore social networking capabilities using the antenna system isprovided. The method comprises identifying one or more linkable deviceslocated within proximity to a designated wireless device; and at leastone of:

optimizing a communication link between the designated device and one ormore of the linkable devices in the network;

terminating communication between the designated device and one or moreof the linkable devices;

adjusting transmit power of one or more of the designated device andlinkable devices for improving communication therebetween;

categorizing one or more of the linkable devices into one or moreuser-defined groups; transmitting a data file to one or more of thelinkable devices based on group assignment or proximity within thenetwork; or

providing communication with one or more linkable devices determined tobe present within a pre-determined proximity with the designated device.

In yet another aspect, an algorithm is configured to implement the abovewireless communication method within an antenna system of a designateddevice.

In yet another aspect, a software application comprises a user interfacefor managing identified devices, instructions, settings, and storage ofrelated data for use with the antenna system and in accordance with themethods herein.

Other features and advantages will be understood by those having skillin the art upon a thorough review of the embodiments of the abovedescription and the appended drawings. Although several illustrativefeatures and embodiments are described herein, it should be understoodthat these details and descriptions are not intended to limit the spiritand scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A multi-mode antenna system configured to enableone or more social networking capabilities between a designated deviceand another device within a wireless network, the antenna systemcomprising: two or more antennas coupled with a combining circuit toform an array with the connected antennas; and an adaptive processorcoupled to the array and configured with an algorithm for adjusting aradiation pattern associated with the array, the algorithm configuredto: identify one or more linkable devices being within a user-definedproximity with the antenna system; and send control signals to one ormore components in the combining circuit for changing one or more of anamplitude or phase of an RF signal transmitted from or received from theantennas in the array; wherein the radiation pattern of the array isaltered to provide communication to one or more of the linkable devicesselected for communication.
 2. The antenna system of claim 1, whereinone or more of the antennas is capable of generating two or more uniqueradiation patterns.
 3. The antenna system of claim 2, wherein at leastone of the one or more antennas comprises: an antenna radiator disposedabove a ground plane forming an antenna volume there between, a firstparasitic element at least partially disposed within said antennavolume, said first parasitic element being coupled with a first activetuning element for varying a reactance of the antenna; and a secondparasitic element positioned outside of the antenna volume and adjacentto the antenna radiator, said second parasitic element being coupledwith a second active tuning element for varying a current mode thereon.4. In a designated device having a multi-mode antenna system configuredto vary an antenna radiation pattern thereof by implementing one or moreantenna modes of a plurality of possible antenna modes, a method forenabling one or more social networking capabilities between thedesignated device and another device within a wireless network, themethod comprising: identifying one or more linkable devices locatedwithin proximity to the designated wireless device; and at least one of:optimizing a communication link between the designated device and one ormore of the linkable devices in the network; terminating communicationbetween the designated device and one or more of the linkable devices;adjusting transmit power of one or more of the designated device andlinkable devices for improving communication therebetween; categorizingone or more of the linkable devices into one or more user-definedgroups; transmitting a data file to one or more of the linkable devicesbased on group assignment or proximity within the network; or providingcommunication with one or more linkable devices determined to be presentwithin a pre-determined proximity with the designated device.
 5. Themethod of claim 4, wherein said optimizing comprises forming gain maximain the radiation pattern by selecting an optimum antenna mode of themulti-mode antenna.
 6. The method of claim 4, wherein said optimizingcomprises steering the antenna radiation pattern of the designateddevice to maximize link quality in a direction of one or more of thelinkable devices.
 7. The method of claim 4, wherein said terminatingcomprises creating a null in the antenna radiation pattern in adirection of one or more of the linkable devices.
 8. The method of claim4, wherein said terminating comprises reducing antenna transmit power ina direction of one or more of the linkable devices.
 9. The method ofclaim 4, wherein said terminating comprises steering the null in adirection of one or more of the linkable devices.